Gordon Lightfoot Book, Music and More!

Although less prominent than The Hives or Soundtrack of Our Lives, T(I)NC lead the political vanguard of the Swedish rock invasion. Displaying a combination of The Hives’ savvy stage persona and the Gang of Four’s nifty Marxist punk-funk, the Conspiracy knows how to sell its left-wing manifesto: witness infectious songs like “Capitalism Stole My Virginity” from the band’s last album. This EP features six more blistering tracks like “Waiting for Salvation” that explode like Molotov cocktails. Viva la revolution!

Fans of Cooder’s slinky, cinematic style will rejoice at his latest Cuban collaboration. Unlike Buena Vista Social Club, in which Cooder (rightfully) played second fiddle to gifted, but nearly forgotten, geezers like Rubén González and Compay Segundo, Mambo Sinuendo puts him on equal fretting with Cuban guitar legend Manuel Galbán. Full of menacing mambos and crazy cha-cha-chas like “Caballo viejo” and “Patricia” (which rivals “Chan Chan”), this hypnotic, mostly instrumental album epitomizes Cuban cool.

Sixteen-year-old Solange Knowles hopes to follow in the footsteps of her big sister, Beyoncé, who fronts female r&b hitmakers Destiny’s Child and recently starred as Foxxy Cleopatra in the Austin Powers movie Goldmember. Solange was even groomed for success, serving as a dancer for her sister’s group and then introducing them on last year’s TRL Tour. Now, she’s stepping out on her own. Apart from a duet with B2K on “Dance with You,” her album of uptempo, hip-hop tinged r&b is a strictly solo affair.

An all-star jazz collective made up of guitarist John Scofield, saxophonist Joe Lovano, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Al Foster, ScoLoHoFo has its roots in Canada, where the quartet debuted in 1999 at the Montreal Jazz Festival. With equal contributions from each member, the quartet is more than just an exercise in democracy. On tracks like Scofield’s “Right About Now,” Lovano’s “New Amsterdam,” Holland’s “Faces” and Foster’s “Bittersweet,” the playing is lovingly supportive and wondrously instinctive.

With his penchant for romantic gloom, Cave has often drawn comparisons to Leonard Cohen. But where the Aussie goth balladeer differs from Canada’s poetic prince of darkness is in his deep obsession with death. Cave even recorded an entire collection of death-related tunes with PJ Harvey on 1996’s Murder Ballads. His latest leans more toward love, on elegiac songs of desire like the piano-laced “He Wants You.” But for diehard Caveaholics, it does include the raucous, demented “Dead Man in My Bed.”

He’s played with Cassandra Wilson and Steve Coleman and was voted Best New Talent by Jazziz magazine. After releasing an impressively strong debut album, A Cloud of Red Dust, he earned a Grammy nomination for his followup, Black Action Figure. No wonder vibraphonist Harris has been called “one of jazz’s most watchable figures” by The New York Times and been compared to the likes of Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson and Bobby Hutcherson. His third album boasts both surprising maturity and refreshing originality.

The latest buzz band to emerge from the Old Sod, this Leeds quartet with the stunningly pretentious name owes a stadium-size debt to Oasis for the Liam Gallagher-esque vocals of Robert Harvey. Already favorites of Brit rock festivals and flavor-of-the-month weeklies like NME, the young shavers summon up roaring, helter-skelter psychedelia on tracks like “The Dance” and “Take the Long Road and Walk It.” But, apart from the moody “Turn Out the Light,” it’s all played at boringly repetitive breakneck speed.

Canadian-born sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton know all about celebrity. As former members of Spice Girl wannabes All Saints, the Appletons saw their relationships with rock-star boyfriends (Nicole’s with Oasis’ Liam Gallagher, Natalie’s with Prodigy’s Liam Howlett) create enough jealousy to bring their pop group to a bitter end. Now the sisters are poised to have the spotlight all to themselves with their first solo outing. But despite the harder-edged first single, “Fantasy,” the album is more vacuous pop fluff.

Country-folk rockers The Skydiggers have always toiled in the shadows of their buddies in Blue Rodeo. But with their Buffalo Springfield vocals and Byrdsian jingle jangle, Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson have crafted their own impressive body of work. The band’s first studio album in five years, produced by Ian Blurton, features renewed energy on inspired tracks like “Fall Apart” and “Horseshoe Bay.” Add a guest appearance by eccentric genius Hawksley Workman and the result is a charming, confident comeback.

When he mixes high-powered rock and gentle ballads, Harper sounds like a strange hybrid of Lenny Kravitz and Tracy Chapman. Fortunately, the California native mostly sticks to his own brand of bluesy folk, with hints at other styles. “With My Own Two Hands” is progressive reggae, while “Brown Eyed Blues” is inventive funk. The sweetest tracks have spiritual overtones: “Blessed to Be a Witness” suggests a smooth Taj Mahal, while “Picture of Jesus” features the inspirational vocals of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.